New Possibilities: Redux
by The Last Ride In
Summary: My English teacher commented, and I quote, "Absolutely beautiful. You have a gift." This is my year-old first ever story, redone now that I have some experience. Please give it a chance, don't just look at the disclaimer and write it off. Please review!
1. The Stage is Set

Disclaimer

I do not, in any way, shape or form, claim to own Aliens, Predator, or Redwall. These titles are owned by 20th Century Fox and Brian Jacques, respectively. This is fanfiction, meant to express my love of all these franchises. If you feel I have made mistakes in my use of the Predator or Redwall licences, feel free to verbally flog me. If you feel I have made mistakes with the Alien licence, I couldn't care less. I'm right and you're wrong. Besides, I'm entitled to some creative liberties. Anything or anyone that doesn't come from Aliens, Predator, or Redwall belongs to ME. You can't use them. This story is rated "PG-13" for violence.

Sidebar: This is an enhanced version of my first ever story. Most of the changes are small grammar mistakes, but there are some bigger changes in the last two chapters.

Ch.1: The Stage is Set

The setting Mossflower sun cast long shadows across the woodlands; bathing the sandstone walls of Redwall abbey in it's golden-orange light. Oblivious to the dwindling daylight, the Redwallers continued with their feasting under torch and firelight. It was the nameday feast for the Spring of the Early Songbird, two seasons having passed since the defeat of Ferahgo the Assassin and his Corpsemakers. The woodlanders had been feasting since noon, with heaping plates of salads and stews, and enough pies and cobblers to keep armies on their feet. All the Redwallers were partaking in the festivities. All save one, a young badger maid, sitting by herself on the west wall, gazing at the sunset.

Mara of Redwall, formerly of Salamandastron, watched the setting sun through soft brown eyes, a peaceful smile on her lips. She thought back to the Autumn of the Homecomers, of how she had first seen Redwall, and had sat in the long-empty chair of the Badger Mother. She remembered how her friend Pikkle the hare had left for Salamandastron, feeling the call of the mountain, and knowing that she would be happy in her new home. She recalled the long winter, telling stories around the fire. She had told the story of her journey to the inland sea more times than she could recall, and still the young ones wanted to hear it again. She had begun her training as the Mother of Redwall, although the thought of one so young being mother to anyone made her laugh.

She realised that the sun had gone down, and that the stars were out above her. Still smiling, she got up to rejoin her friends. Turning she saw Abbess Vale at the top of the stairs, watching her.

"Are you all right, young one?" she asked, concerned. "Why did you leave the feast?" 

Mara smiled at her friend. "I'm fine, Mother Abbess. I enjoy the sunsets, and I daresay I've gorged enough to keep me going for weeks!"

The Abbess laughed, "Indeed, Bellows certainly outdid himself this time. It's a shame Pikkle wasn't here, to help clear up the leftovers."

The two friends turned, laughing. They walked down to join the others at the feast, which was finally starting to die down. They laughed, talked, and ate, without a real care or worry between them. 

If they had stayed on the walltop for a few more minutes, they would have been able to see the fireball, streaking across the night sky to come crashing down in the Northeast. 

~~

Roth Longrudder couldn't help but notice the meteor. It had come crashing down into the river that ran next to his home, skidding along it for a hundred metres before ramping off the bank and demolishing his home. Luckily, the young otter and his wife had been outside, stargazing. Roth stared at the intruder. It appeared to be little more than a large steel box, with small cylinders fused to the sides. The outline of a door and handle could be clearly seen in the moonlight. Although it had crashed into the river, it was completely dry, still glowing dangerously from the heat of it's descent. 

Roth stood up, reaching for his dagger, which he kept at his side. Seeing his wife rising, he put a hand on her shoulder. 

"You stay 'ere, Marigold. No sense gettin' up over rubbish like this 'ere tin can."

She looked worried. "What is it, Roth?"

He smiled. "Sure an' I don't know, dearest. I don't think it's dangerous, just rude. Fancy that, wreckin' a poor fella's home like that, and without so much as a how-d'you-do?"

She laughed at him. "You are silly, Roth Longrudder. Be careful."

He nodded, walking slowly alongside the trench that the object had carved into his property. He tried to touch it, finding it to be untouchable. He turned and yelled to his wife. "I can't get close, It's too hot!" He walked back to where she stood, watching the thing curiously. "We'll have to wait 'till it cools off a bit, then we can see what it is."

They turned toward their home, seeing that it was now more of a crater. Roth chuckled, defeated. "All right, then. A bed of grass for the lady."

~~

Far away, over hills and plains, atop a distant cliff, two other sets of eyes saw the descending meteor. The owners of these eyes knew exactly what it was, however; and without so much as a word between them, they packed what few possessions they had, and left in it's direction, vanishing strangely fast into the nearby forest.


	2. A New Reign Begins

Ch.2 – A New Reign Begins

Roth Longrudder awoke in the arms of his wife Marigold, the sounds of Mossflower songbirds fresh in his ears. He realised he was on the bare grass outside their home. Remembering the previous night -and the fact that he no longer had a home- he rose, being careful not to wake her. He cautiously approached the unsightly box that had annihilated his new house. It was no longer glowing, but was still far too hot to touch, as he quickly found out. Deciding to take advantage of the daylight, he walked around it, scrutinising every detail. This didn't take long, as there was very little detail to scrutinise. It's front end was half buried in the ground, but the words "ESCAPE 2" could be read clearly along the top, written in bold yellow letters. At the other end, between the protruding cylinders, was the door he had seen the night before. He could see what appeared to be directions written around the handle. In smaller letters, it read "twist and pull".

"What is it, Roth?"

He turned to see Marigold, inspecting the metal crate in the same fashion he had. "I don't know, m'dear, but it's too hot yet; we'll have to wait a while."

She nodded, smiling sweetly at him. He inspected the ruins of his home, managing to salvage some flint and a frying pan, as well as a few supplies that hadn't been crushed or burned. He and Marigold cooked some oatcakes, saving the other supplies for later. They spent much of the day wondering what the behemoth in their lawn was, but came up with nothing plausible. Because they lived so far from Redwall and the other centers of Mossflower, it was not uncommon for days to go by without a single visitor. Normally this was good, but they could have used the company.

By nightfall, the box had become cool enough to touch, and with Marigold watching under the light of a pine resin torch, Roth approached it. Following the instructions, he grasped the still-warm metal handle, twisted to the left, and pulled.

The corners of the door gave of a hiss as jets of steam shot out. The door began moving out from the side of the crate, as though something inside was pushing it. It fell away, tipping to the side on the uneven ground. The two stared open-mouthed into the box. Motioning for Marigold to stay where she was, he stuck his head into the doorframe, surprised at how cool and damp it was inside. It was just as dull and hard as the outside: In the dim light, he could make out two long, squared tubes, looking disturbingly like coffins, side-by-side in the middle. To the sides of each were two small, flat glass panels, blinking red symbols that held no meaning to Roth. He smiled at Marigold, and stepped inside. Holding the torch high he gazed at two objects huddled in the corner. The nearest was a black, skeletal-looking thing, much of it concealed by the fact that it was curled into a tight ball on it's feet, supported by a dangerous-looking tail. Behind it was a tall, greenish-grey oval with a leathery texture. It appeared to be glued to the floor.

As Roth looked on, the black one began to stir. It stood slowly, as if stiff, shaking off the dust that had accumulated on it. It rose to be about the same height as Roth, maybe a little shorter. His breath stopped; it was the most terrible thing he had ever seen. It's skin was black as coal, shining in the torchlight. The long, multi-jointed tail, tipped with a dagger-sized blade, cracked the air behind it. The body looked almost emancipated, with ribbed patterns on it. From it's back grew four long, curving tubes, looking almost like charred butterfly wings. The head was insanely long, with ridges running along it. It hissed at Roth, baring needle fangs and, to his horror, a second set of teeth, back further in its maw. 

He heard a scream behind him, as Marigold ventured a glance into the pod. The creature turned toward her, crouching as if to pounce. With a yell, Roth jumped at it, flailing with torch and dagger. Barely flinching, it batted the torch from his paws, severed the dagger paw with razor-edged claws, and grabbed Roth around the throat. The second jaws flashed, and Roth fell, never to rise again. Crying and screaming, Marigold tried to run, but didn't get two steps before it was upon her. It grabbed her tunic and hauled her back into the crate, easily controlling her panicked struggles. She was forced to her knees before the oval-shaped object. It slowly opened at the top, like some obscene flower, revealing a large set of beige spider legs, beginning to stir… 

~~

One Week Later,

The Queen watched as her drone sped off, responding to orders given as a result of her bond with it. It was the same for all queens, and their drones. She had awoken to find that very drone as it stood over her, guarding her. She had feasted on the prey it had provided for the first day. Then she had selected a nest: a series of connecting tunnels carved into rough stone, not far from her birthing site. Numerous large, tube-shaped animals, useless for birthing, had occupied them. However, after the drone had killed one, the others had seemed at a loss, and had left hissing and sputtering. She had sent the drone out to find prey, knowing that she could soon begin laying eggs, so that there could be more of her children…

__

Go to the Prey.

This message effectively summed up the drone's thoughts as he raced through the trees, finding them faster than the ground. At times, he would pass prey in the darkness. He didn't so much as hesitate at their presence. The queen had ordered him to another place, distant. He could feel it, a great gathering of life. He could feel them. There would be much prey there… 


	3. The Plot Thickens

Author's note: You may notice, the Aliens seem a little smarter than they are in the movies. This is one of those "creative liberties" I warned you about.

Ch.3 – The Plot Thickens

Cavern Hole was in a flurry of excitement. It was Vale's jubilee feast and everywhere, Redwall creatures were running around, preparing food, setting tables, and making sure the Abbess was comfortable. It was even greater than the recent Nameday feast, and creatures had gathered from all over Mossflower in preparation. Friar Bellows and his kitchen crew had been slaving for days, preparing pies and salads, as well as discouraging sneaky dibbuns out for a snack. So many guests had shown up that new tables were being constructed from old timber and logs. Mara found herself out in the orchard, surrounded by dibbuns. She had been assigned to keep them out of the way while the final preparations were made, and was nearing the end of the second rendition of her story.

Half an hour later, the feast was well under way. There was food, laughter, and a general feeling of happiness. But, there was also tension, due to certain recent events. The woodlanders tried not to show it, but they were anxious. This would manifest itself in sudden outbursts of irrational anger, as well as in the many stilted and lifeless conversations. It could be seen very clearly in Mara, who sat silently, eating mechanically. She only stirred when nudged by Samkim, who was sitting next to her.

"What's wrong, Mara? You seem down. Those dibbuns weren't too rough on you, were they?"

She smiled wearily. "I'm fine, Samkim. I just keep thinking about poor Cypress, as well as those others. They just…vanished."

He sighed. He knew all about the recent disappearances. One week earlier, Cypress -a middle-aged mousewife- had left Great Hall after dark to get some herbs that had been left outside. A few minutes later, her high scream had been heard, but would-be rescuers had found only the basket of herbs, and a small patch of blood. Another patch had been found on the north wall, accompanied by faint claw marks. A few days after that, an old hedgehog, so old he hadn't bothered to remember his name, had shown up at the gates. He reported that all the birds had gone silent in the Northeast, and that the usually friendly Longrudders had gone missing. When asked if they were at home, he told them that he wouldn't go anywhere the birds didn't sing, but that they had never gone so long without visiting him. At the Abbess's insistence, the old one took up a bunk in the dormitories. However, the next night, he had been heard screaming in the orchard. As Redwallers rushed out, they saw him disappearing over the wall, being hauled by two figures, almost invisible against the trees behind them. As they left over the north wall, they had been dive-bombed by one of the recluse Sparra warriors that lived in the roofspaces. The Sparra had similarly never been heard from again. These disappearances had greatly troubled the elders, although most creatures were still unaware of them.

Samkim picked up his fork and began eating. "I'm worried too, Mara. But there's no point in moping around until we know more," he winked at her. "Cheer up. Set a good example for the others. This is supposed to be a happy day!"

Mara nodded, smiled, and continued eating.

~~

The Queen brooded alone in a corner of a vast cavern in the bowels of her caves. Her drones had served her well, the first having brought a live creature, small and fat. It had been secured to the wall and impregnated. The resulting offspring had joined the existing drone, and had returned to where the prey gathered. They had returned with two creatures: one weak and frail, covered with spines, the other a flyer, full of life. The spiked one had joined the other on the wall, but the flyer had escaped, with an egg-spawn holding one of its short legs. The Queen knew that the flyer had been seeded and that the birthing had occurred, but the flyer had travelled far while carrying her child. It would take days to return. In the meantime, she noted all the different sorts of prey there seemed to be, and waited for her children to bring her more.

~~

It was getting on toward midnight, and the dibbuns had long since been sent to bed. The inhabitants of Redwall Abbey sat on chairs, rugs, and tables around the fire, chatting amiably. Someone called for a story, and Mara and Samkim both winced, not willing to tell either of their tales again. Thankfully, one of the guests was called upon, and the collected beasts settled in. One, an old mouse named Pansy, excused herself to fetch her knitting from the dormitories. The storyteller was a fat otterwife, with a child curled up in her lap. 

"Now, this story-" she began, but was cut off by a scream from Great Hall which, in turn, ended abruptly. Pausing only to glance at each other, Mara and Samkim leapt up and dashed for the stairs, Samkim grabbing the fire stoker as he passed the hearth. Mara stifled a scream as she reached the top of the stairs. There, in the moonlight, before the Redwall tapestry was Pansy. She hung, like a grotesque puppet, impaled on the monstrous tail of her killer. It seemed upset that it had killed her, as it grabbed her in its claws and threw her aside. Reaching the Hall behind Mara, Samkim let out a hoarse cry at the scene before him.

The creature whirled on them, but noticed only Mara as she stood there. It hissed, falling to all fours as it approached her slowly, aware of its size disadvantage. As she watched, two more dropped from the rafters and began advancing, but stopped at a seemingly angry signal from the large black one. One, a smaller black one with a stubby head covered in white-tipped barbs, made a coughing noise, and was subjected to a very loud and shrill whine from the bigger one. It and the smaller brown one resumed their place in the rafters, scaling the walls with amazing swiftness. Mara picked up an unlit candle-pole, which normally provided light for Great Hall, and prepared to face the thing. 

Without warning, it crouched and leaped at her, sailing half way across the room at her. Crying out, she blocked with the pole, and flipped it onto the ground. She jabbed it with the candle-prongs, bringing it over her head and smashing it into the ground. It slid a few feet, then quickly got up. She saw that it was wounded, yellowish blood oozing from its arm. Hissing, it paced in front of her, lithe and dangerous, placing weight nimbly on it's fingers and toes. It seemed at a loss. Mara supposed it was used to sneak attacks, not direct combat. It charged again, trying the same thing twice. Some blood splashed her arm and she cried out in pain, dropping the pole and the creature, she held her arm, which had a smoking hole in it. Angry, she dealt the thing a mighty backhand, sending it almost back where it came from, in the centre of the room. It landed nimbly, and started to charge, then stopped.

It stopped because it and Mara had noticed the same thing: three tiny red dots moving quickly along the floor, and resting on its head. It snarled, and leapt quickly aside, just as a crack sounded from above, and a short metal spear hit where it had been, the dust from its impact settling slowly. 

Mara looked up, seeing a bright red light shining apparently, from thin air. She watched it as it dropped from a shattered window, accompanied by a strange shimmering of the night air. Upon hitting the ground, it moved quickly between Mara and the creature, quickly followed by another one just like it. After a moment, they seemed to shift, and with a mutual crackling noise and a blue shimmering, slowly appeared as what they really were. The one who had come second was a squirrel, while the one who had fired was a badger, but that was all she could tell. They both wore armour that consisted of a greenish undertone, with metal plates over the chest and back, and a strange webbing elsewhere. They wore gauntlets over their hands and forearms, and there was strange equipment scattered over them. On their shoulders was a bulky oblong tube. At their sides was other equipment, some of it quite useless-looking. They wore metal masks over their faces; masks with cold black eyes and leathery dreadlocks attached to the back of them.

The badger nodded toward Mara, and the squirrel went to her, opening a vial, of glowing blue liquid. Mara recoiled, but the squirrel persisted, and she relented. "This will hurt," the stranger offered, it's voice flat and echoing slightly. It pressed some liquid onto her burn. It stung, but only for a moment. When she looked, the burn was gone, just a faint scar.

Meanwhile, the badger clenched its fist, causing two blades to shoot from the gauntlet on his right paw. He leaped at the creature, grabbing it as it tried to attack him. He sliced, removing a chunk of the things forehead. It collapsed, it's blood burning the floor. The spined one fell from the rafters at him, only to be slain halfway down by a spear from the squirrel. Breathing deeply, the badger walked toward where the others stood, watching.

"There's another one!" Mara cried, just as it jumped onto the badger, sinking claws into his back. With a roar, he reached behind, grabbed it by the tail, and swung it around, launching it across Great Hall, before it even hit the ground, a red light on the warrior's helmet snapped on, and the machine on his shoulder jerked to life. He pressed something on his left arm, and the machine gave off a bolt of brilliant blue fire. The final creature had landed on its feet, and the fireball hit it full in the chest. It screamed as a shower of sparks erupted from its chest and back, and it fell to the ground, dead.

The badger turned, lifting his paws to his face. He removed the mask, revealing a handsome young face, maybe a season older than Mara. "Are…you…allrigh…-" he managed to say before collapsing, the wounds on his back seeping blood.


	4. Recoveries and Explanations

Author's note: See? I told you it was still a Predator fic.

Ch. 4 – Recoveries and Explanations

The Queen screamed in rage and pain, her cries echoing throughout the caves as unused eggs stirred expectantly. Three of her children were dead, slain as they sought new prey. She could see their killers: dreadlocked faceless ones who killed from a distance. The hive-mind, the strange link with all the queens of the past, told her of these creatures. They had appeared from nowhere, sometimes slaying entire colonies, the grand ones found on distant worlds. However, she also knew that these creatures made excellent hosts; their offspring were hardy and could survive worse things than the normal children. She snarled. It all rested with the missing flyer, now…

Mara of Redwall sat in a chair in the sick bay. Beside her lay the young badger that had saved her…no, all of Redwall. The monster that had attacked him had sunk claws between his armour patches, deep enough to kill most creatures. After he had collapsed, his squirrel companion had gone to him, taken one look, and said to the Redwallers, "He needs help. Are any among you medical beasts?" The Abbess and several others had volunteered, and Mara, being the only one strong enough, had carried him to the infirmary. Even so, it had taken time to move the muscular young badger. Once he was on the bed, the squirrel (who had removed her mask and introduced herself as Elmflyer) had removed the armour from his upper body, revealing that his back was soaked with his own blood. Elmflyer had left to deal with the remains of the creatures, and Mara and the Abbess had cleaned the young warrior up. Afterward, the Abbess had also left, to speak with the squirrelmaid. Mara had been left to keep watch over the badger, in case he turned for the worst. Mara took the time to examine his armour, which revealed much before very long.

At first glance, most of it seemed flimsy, like cloth. She soon found, to her surprise, that the light green material had amazing durability, failing to so much as mark it with her claws. It was stiff, however, and had only covered his shoulder blades and chest, as well as his upper arms and legs, to provide better movement. The metal portions were a deep purple, and made up his mask, gauntlets, shoulder pads, belt, and boots. She picked up the mask, surprised at how light it was, and turned it over in her paws. It was pointedly plain, with very little adorning it. It hinges at the top, so it could more easily be fit around the head. On the right side of its disturbing black eyes was a small protrusion with the three red lights she had seen. There was also a small button. She looked at him lying there, facedown on the bed, breathing slowly. She glanced nervously around, and slowly brought the mask to her face, the dreadlocks tickling her neck. Everything was bathed in red, with some of his strange weapons glowing slightly. She pressed the button, and everything flashed. The world was now a soothing blue and she no longer saw a handsome young badger on the bed, but an undulating mass of reds, yellows and greens. Looking at herself she saw more of the same. As she looked up, the lights on the mask came on, falling on the young badger. At the same time, the weapon mounted on the shoulder of his armour came to life, swivelling to point at him. She quickly removed the helmet, placing it on the table with his other things. She leant back, startled, and continued her vigil.

~~

"What _are_ these things?" Abbess Vale asked Elmflyer, as she knelt to pick up the scorched body of one creature. "And why are they attacking us?" She and Samkim had watched her as she had dragged the other two out into the yard, often looking around nervously through her helmet, which was a silver colour, as opposed to her friend's. As she deposited the last one outside, she removed the mask, smiling at them. 

"Nothing but overblown insects. Just relax, we'll take care of them." She said, her voice light and cheery. "I should wait for my partner to wake up before I explain anything. We both know different parts of the story."

The Abbess nodded serenely. "Then come, it's late. I'm sure we could persuade you to stay here for the night. We have plenty of room."

The young maid smiled. "Marm, any bed would no doubt be better than the ground. Thank you for your hospitality," she said, winking at Samkim as she passed him, heading up to the dormitories, her tail waving behind.

~~

Mara woke as a shaft of sunlight caught her in the eye. She had fallen asleep after a few hours of vigil, onto the table with his equipment. She rose slowly, and was about to leave for breakfast, when her charge stirred, moaning as he attempted to move. She put a paw onto his shoulder, keeping him on the bed, amazed that anybeast could be awake in such a short time.

"Shh…lie down. You need to rest," she said soothingly.

He turned his head to look at her, and she saw that he had soft, sincere green eyes. He spoke, his voice soft and kind. "Who are you? Where am I? What…ugh…happened?" He said, grunting from the bandaged wounds on his back.

She smiled, "My name is Mara. You're in the infirmary of Redwall Abbey. You were put here after you were injured by one of those creatures."

He nodded, smiling amusedly up at her. "Ah, yes. I remember now. My name is Coll. Have you been watching over me this whole time? I hope you at least slept some."

"A little," she said, blushing slightly, "and yes, I have been here all night. We were worried that you might develop a fever."

"We?"

"The Abbess and I." She said, blushing harder. "You received injuries that would have killed most people. It's amazing that you're awake so soon."

"Amazing? I'm surprised it took him this long. So, finally up and about, Dozychops?" 

Elmflyer stood in the doorway, grinning. She was wearing the light green habit of a guest at Redwall, though she still wore her bladed right gauntlet. Vale was behind her. Coll smiled, "I'm up, squirrel, though maybe not about. Do you have any compound left?"

"Just a moment. We have to check your wounds first," said she, lifting a bandage to check the injury underneath. "They're still too deep. We have to wait awhile before fixing you up properly."

"Excuse me," the Abbess interrupted, "but if you're feeling up to it, who are you? Where do come from? What _were_ those things last night?" She had obviously been anxiously waiting answers, as the safety of her abbey was in jeopardy.

At a glance from Coll, Elmflyer said, "I promised the Abbess here that we'd explain once you were awake"

He nodded, propping himself up painfully on his elbow. "Very well, madam. I'll answer the last question first.

"The creatures that attacked your abbey have many names. Some call them Xenomorphs; others call them Nasties, the Bogeymen, or simply 'those things'. Some have even called them the Destroying Angels. But most often, in the end, everyone ends up calling them 'Aliens'. They are…most unpleasant. They behave like insects, with all the drones serving the Queen. The queen lays eggs, which hold small, spider-looking things, that we call Facehuggers, because they latch onto any living creature, laying eggs in their throat. About a day later, the poor creature is subjected to a young Alien breaking it's way out their rib cage. We call these aliens 'Chestbursters'. The Chestburster quickly grows into an Alien, like the ones you saw. They exist solely to bring more hosts to the queen."

He sat back, exhausted from the effort of speaking. "I'm sorry if this disturbs you, but it's the truth, which is all that I can offer." Vale looked on, horrified. All the missing creatures, maybe even the Longrudders, dead. She looked at Elmflyer, who sat on the end of the bed. "Who are you?"

Her voice was solemn as she spoke, "We call ourselves Predators, though only when we have to. Long ago, a young mouse named Xanth came across a huge object while travelling through some woods a long, long way from here. He discovered that it was a ship, and inside, he found the skeletons of many creatures, strange crab-faced monsters. When he touched a certain part of the ship, his mind was flooded with information about the ship and the creatures. They had been proud hunters, on their way here to hunt our people. Their ship had crashed and killed most of them, the rest dying from leaking poisons. Xanth also learned about their weapons, and of the means to make more. Over time, he enlisted other creatures to wear the armour he made, spreading them out across the land. When he died, others continued his work. Most of us are orphans, raised in the remains of the ship. We learn our skills, and then leave, roaming the countryside, doing our duty. Coll and I met in the east, and have been travelling together, but most of our people are alone."

"And what is your duty?" asked Samkim, startling them. He had entered, unnoticed, during Elmflyer's speech.

Coll spoke again, "To defend those who can't defend themselves, and to fight the Aliens. They haven't been dealt with in an extremely long time, not since the time of Xanth himself, but they were in the ship's mind. The hunters thought them the ultimate challenge, the perfect prey, and so we are all taught about them." He looked at Mara, and seeing how worried she looked, took her paw. "We're the first to face them in many years, but we have the skills and the tools to beat them.

"In the meantime, Abbess, I would advise gathering all the creatures in these woods here in the Abbey. The Aliens may decide that it would be easier to take single families rather than try the Abbey again. Have some Redwallers go out and warn the woodlanders, but have them back before dark. They mostly come at night…mostly. Elmflyer will go with one group, and I with the other."

"Oh, no." Mara said. "You're staying right here. You need to rest."

Elmflyer winked at him "She's right, stripy. We'll give the second group your speargun, and tell them how to use it."

He nodded, and they left him to sleep. They began organizing the groups, as the Joseph bell began tolling a message of danger to Mossflower, warning them of the threat that loomed like a thundercloud on the horizon.


	5. The Stuff of Nightmares

Author's note: I may be pushing the rating with this one, but I had a lot of fun writing it, so there. 

Ch.5-The Stuff of Nightmares 

A new day dawned over Redwall Abbey. Having finally been permitted to leave his bed, Coll the badger climbed slowly to his feet, assisted by Mara. She had provided a stave to help him get around, and they slowly made his way down to Great Hall. The Redwallers were at tables, eating breakfast. Although some were talking, most were eating mechanically, taking no notice of their surroundings. As they crossed the hall, Abbess Vale, Samkim and Elmflyer crossed, meeting them. The abbess spoke.

"Ah, Coll. It's so good to see you on your feet again. Take a seat, please. We were just having breakfast, if you feel up to it."

Coll looked up and down the tables of sobered woodlanders. Almost all of Mossflower was there, crowding into extra benches. The Redwallers had been out all of the previous day collecting them, but had had to return as dark was falling. Most creatures had been reluctant to leave their homes, and had been told of the impending danger to get them going. They would fetch the remaining woodlanders today, travelling to the far corners of the forest. Elmflyer's team had been to the Northeast; they had found what she had reported as an escape vessel of some kind, containing an empty egg and two otters, dead and eaten. They had returned immediately, knowing that nothing would be alive in the area where the birds didn't sing. Mara had gone with the other group, armed with Coll's speargun. She had spent the whole day glancing nervously at the trees, barely even talking to the woodlanders they met, or to her friends. She smiled, remembering the relief on Coll's face when she had returned, safe and surrounded by new friends. She had spent hours by his bed, talking, until he had forced her to go get some sleep. Elmflyer had spent the night perched on the abbey roof, peering at the forest through her helmet. She had been kept awake by hotroot soup brought up by Samkim, who couldn't sleep well with the constant threat. He had talked a lot with her, and she was deeply thankful for the company. Coll smiled distantly at the abbess, but turned to Elmflyer.

"Where are they?"

She led them to a far corner of the abbey, behind a pile of loose wood and masonry. There lay the corpses of the three creatures that they had killed: the large black one, with a chunk of its head missing. A shorter, stockier one, with small barbs covering it's short head, back, and relatively stubby tail, and one of Elmflyer's spears impaling it through the gut. The third, a small, brownish horror, had longer arms and claws than the others, and lacked the back spikes that all the others had. It had walked on all fours, with sinuous grace, but now lay awkwardly, with a blackened hole through its middle. Coll looked them over, then turned slowly to Vale. "Abbess, have you had reports of any creatures going missing from the abbey?"

She nodded, "Yes. We've had a Redwall mousewife, a elderly hedgehog, and a sparrow from the roofspaces go missing, why?"

Elmflyer sighed. Pointing to the spiny one, she said, "hedgehog," and then to the small one, "mouse."

Coll said, "The big one looks like the ones the ship showed us. It was probably inside the ship you found, Elm. I'm not sure about the sparrow, though. Do you think they could have infested it?"

She looked troubled, "I'm not sure. What if they do? It would be a new world of trouble for us."

Mara spoke, "what would it look like? A sparrow-creature, I mean."

Coll smiled at her, "we can only guess. It would probably fly, though."

Vale seemed to come out of a reverie. She had been staring at the aliens, as if in a trance, "enough talk of these things, we'll round up the other woodlanders today, and these things will leave us alone."

Elmflyer only looked at her, "You don't understand, do you? They won't leave us. If they find there is no prey to be had, the queen will leave her nest to find more. They won't stop just because pickings are slim."

Samkim spoke. He had been silent all through the exchange, "what can we do, then?"

Coll answered, "_You_ will stay here. Elmflyer and I will have to go and find the nest. If we kill the queen, any others will be helpless. She'll have a nest by now. Are there any caves or tunnels that she could have used, near the place where we found the pod?"

"The quarry," Vale replied, after a moment. "A big sandstone quarry, full of tunnels. There have been snakes there for ages, though. I don't think they would let a strange creature live there."

"The snakes are dead, or else have left" Coll said, with certainty. "The adder hasn't been born who could deal with a Queen." 

~~

At that moment, the Queen was brooding alone in her chamber, surrounded by the greenish ovoid forms that were her legacy. The flyer was still missing. It had been gone far too long. She didn't fear for it, but it was unusual. Without the flyer, she may have to leave the nest, to bring the eggborn to the prey. This would be a problem, as the eggs would be almost helpless without her. For now, she would wait, and see. There was a scratching above her, and a small, fat creature fell to the ground before her, squealing in terror at the sight of her. The prey here had all been noisy. She looked up at the shadow looming in the tunnel above her, and hissed, content. Her child had returned to her at last.

~~

Coll leaned heavily on an oaken crutch as he watched the Redwallers returning to the gates. There were the expected newcomers, but all the faces were sombre, looking at the ground, or the sky, but not each other. He hobbled quickly over to Mara and Elmflyer, who were leading the party. When he asked what was happening, Mara looked away, crying. Elmflyer answered him.

"A ways back into the woods, my group ran into Mara's. We had finished our part of the woods, so we hooked up with them. Our last stop was a large family of bankvoles, near the edge of the forest. We called out to them, but no one answered. When we went in, they were…they-" she broke down, crying. Coll held her, asking, "what?" 

"Dead!" she sobbed. "All dead, and…shredded! The oldest male had a melted dagger…and we never found the smallest one."

He squeezed his friend's shoulders, "The Queen?" he asked calmly, knowing it would help her to talk.

"No, there were no footprints. It had to be the flyer, Coll. I can see it. It came out of nowhere and…and…"

He silenced her, leading her back to the abbey building. 

~~

Later that day, Mara sat alone, staring at the sunset. It no longer held beauty for her. The sun was leaving, the creatures would come. There was nowhere else for them to go, all their prey was there, in the abbey. She shuddered, putting her head in her paws as she remembered the bankvole home, and walking in on that horrible scene. She started to cry, choking into her palms. Even in the war against Ferahgo, nothing had compared to that. She knew she could never forget it.

"Mara? Are you up here?"

She turned to see Coll climbing the stairs to the ramparts. That afternoon, Elmflyer had treated his wounds with the last of the strange compound they had brought. His wounds were nothing but scars now, and didn't bother him.

She turned back out toward the woods, wiping her eyes so he wouldn't see. "I come up here to look at the sunsets. They used to be so beautiful" she turned back to him, as he stood on the stairs. "Coll, why do they do this? They come and invade and kill without mercy, or even a reason. Even vermin have some motive other than to kill."

He sat on the wall next to her "they don't need a reason. They're animals, they can only do what nature tells them to."

She seemed doubtful. "Tomorrow, when you go after the queen, please be careful. I couldn't stand any more death, and I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

He smiled warmly and put his arm around her. "Of course I'll be careful. After all," he leant close and whispered, "I have a lot to lose."

They sat there until the sun had gone down, and the evening chill hung in the air. Then they left, never letting go, as if each was afraid the other might disappear. Once again, Mara suffered from extreme bad timing. If they had stayed a moment longer, they would have seen a winged silhouette gliding toward them slowly on the night air.

~~

Meanwhile, Samkim and Elmflyer had been for a walk around the orchard. After a few hours of talking, he had gotten her back in good spirits. Her happiness had become very important to him, and he had asked her to stay at Redwall. She had replied by saying, "it _is_ a wonderful place," but had refused to give a clearer answer.

Brother Harold was a Redwall mouse in his younger seasons. He was currently assigned to check the grounds for anyone still out after dark. He stopped, seeing the two squirrels, and called out "Oy, Miss Elmflyer! Of all creatures! Git inter the Abbey!"

"Coming, Harold!" Samkim yelled back. But they hadn't gotten ten paces when Harold gave out a strangled cry at the night sky. His pinesap torch was knocked from his paws by the wind of his attacker, and his cries became a sob of pain as a sharp pain hit him in the gut. Elmflyer stopped and whispered, "Sparrow" then ran headlong at it, yelling, "Coll! Come quickly!" and loosing a short metal tube from her back. As it extended into a full sized war staff, Harold's assailant turned toward her, and the sheer sight of it made her stop.

It was completely different from any other alien she had ever seen. It was about the size of the mouse-creature, but was hunched over, so it seemed shorter. The shoulders were more toward the back, and from them sprouted two oversized, batlike, insect-jointed wings. It's tail was insanely long, tipped with a long, hooked barb. The head was more curved than was normal, and it had a single horn just above the mouth, which had an underbite. The legs were short and wide-set, ending in large, taloned feet. 

Noting her pause and the oncoming reinforcements, it lashed out at her, making her back up, then turned. Grabbing Harold, it flapped it's wings and rose from the ground. It rose slowly, but managed to clear the far wall, disappearing into the night.

Coll and Mara arrived, followed closely by other Redwallers. "What happened?" He asked, looking at the bloodstained ground. 

Furious, Elmflyer slammed her spear into the ground. "The flyer. The sparrow alien. It came out of nowhere and took Harold. I wasn't fast enough."

The Redwallers milled about, whispering, talking, and fussing over the latest loss suffered by the abbey. Once they had dispersed, Coll remained, staring up at the moon.

"This ends tomorrow."

The following morning was grey and gloomy, with low clouds threatening rain. Coll and Elmflyer stood alone outside the abbey building, dressed in full armour. They had planned this, so that they wouldn't have to deal with long goodbyes. Without a word between them, they made for the main doors. But before Coll could push them open, he and Elmflyer heard their names being called, and Samkim and Mara were there. "We've talked it over, and we can't let you do this alone," Mara announced, standing at arm's length from Coll.

Coll removed his mask and smiling, took her paws in his and said, "Well then, we have a problem, because we can't let you come. It's too dangerous, you two would just get hurt."

"We can take care of ourselves," said Samkim, hotly.

"Yes, we've heard all about all your adventures, both of you. But you've seen these things, and you know we're the only ones who can stop them." Said Elmflyer, with a tone that finished any other arguments.

Instead, Mara hugged Coll close, and looking up at him, said, "Please be careful. Come back to us, both of you."

Samkim handed Elmflyer a folded dockleaf. Inside was a necklace, made from a leather strip with two alien talons and a tooth. "For luck," he said, blushing. She put the necklace around her neck, kissed him on the cheek, and walked out the door without another word. Before closing the door, Coll winked at Mara, "relax, we know what we're doing."

And then they were gone.

A ways out onto the path, Elmflyer turned her attention from fingering the necklace. Without turning or breaking stride, she spoke the only word that passed between them on the journey.

"Liar."

They reached the quarry after a day and a night of walking. In the still-dark night, they found the entrance to the tunnels, wide open from the passage of the snakes. Their helmets cut easily through the gloom, and they found the antechamber with little difficulty. Along the way, they were attacked by an extremely young alien, still practically a Chestburster, and killed it without event. As they stepped into the chamber, looking around at the unused eggs, at the bodies of the dead cemented to the walls. It was Coll who first broke the silence.

"Where's the Queen?"


	6. End Game

Ch.6- End Game

Samkim and Mara stood in the morning gloom for a while, watching the doors as Coll and Elmflyer walked away along the path. Each was lost in thought about the travellers, and both new they now needed them to return. After a while, Mara hefted a sigh and spoke.

"Well, we're not doing anyone any good by standing here. Let's go back inside."

They entered the comparatively warm and cheery great hall, and sat down with their breakfast. An old dormouse, with long whiskers and a bad hip, leaned back in his chair and spoke from his place behind them. He had been present at the bankvole family den, and his voice was low and bitter.

"So, 'ave those two gone after the things?"

Mara only turned slightly and nodded, distracted.

The old one chuckled mirthlessly. "Well, then. I hope you said goodbye, 'cause those two fools are done for!"

Mara was on him before even she knew it. She brought her face close to his and in a snarling whisper, said, "Watch your tongue, you cowardly old fool. If they fail, who do you think will be able to protect us from the monsters? If they die, we die, so pray that they succeed."

Aware that all eyes in great hall were on her, Mara stormed out of Great Hall and up the stairs to the dormitory. As she slammed her door behind her, she noticed something on her bed. It was Coll's speargun, with a folded piece of paper on it. Picking it up, she read aloud:

_Just in case._

~~

Coll and Elmflyer stood on the slimy floor of the egg chamber, surrounded by broken bodies and acid pools. Upon entering the room, they had set about destroying the eggs, and now there were only broken bits of fleshy shell remaining. Elmflyer went over and touched the Queen's egg sac still hanging from the wall. It was moist, and clung to her fingers.

"She left recently. Maybe an hour," She turned to Coll, who was checking the room for any missed eggs. "We can still make it back. She won't travel by day, and it's just dawn now."

She knew, as did Coll, that the queen would head for Redwall. Coll stood. "Right, but look at this. As far as we can tell, there have been five aliens born here. Two mice, a sparrow, a hedgehog, and a bankvole. We killed the mouse and the hedgehog at the abbey, as well as the drone. We killed the other mouse in the tunnels here, but that still leaves the sparrow and the bankvole. They're probably with her."

"So? We can handle two aliens. They won't travel by day either. Wait, what now?"

Coll had leant behind a column of rock. He emerged with an empty egg, "Six empty eggs for five aliens?"

They spent the rest of the day making for Redwall. They didn't run, to conserve their strength, but walked quickly, not stopping once. The forest was entirely quiet, as they made their way to what they hoped wouldn't be an abbeyful of dead friends.

~~

Mara sat alone on the Abbey steps, cradling the speargun like a babe with her blanket. Coll had been gone for more than a day, and she was getting worried. She knew that by now either the monsters were dead, or he was. She shifted on the steps, frustrated at being so helpless. He and Elmflyer were out risking their lives for creatures they had mostly never met, while she, the supposed "Guardian" of Redwall, sat on her paws, doing nothing. She came to a decision, raising her head to look resolutely at the cloudy sky. If they weren't back by sunset, she would get Samkim and they would go looking for them, regardless of what Coll had said.

~~

It was nearly sunset, but was already mostly dark, due to the clouds. All of Redwall was gathered in Cavern Hole for protection, making it easy for the two would-be rescuers to sneak out. As she descended the stairs, Mara saw Samkim waiting for her. He was carrying a broad, flat oval object. It seemed to have sharp edges, and was gripped by a handle in the middle. It didn't seem to be much of a weapon, and Mara inquired about it. He chuckled, "oh, it's a weapon all right. Elmflyer showed me how to use it." He pressed with one finger, and the sides of the oval expanded, creating a large disc and sending slow-moving points of light in all directions. He threw it with a flick of the wrist, and in whizzed off, spinning madly. Before it reached the abbey wall, it turned in mid-air and came hissing back at them, to land safely in Samkim's paw. He reclosed it, and Mara nodded her approval.

They left the Abbey building silently, closing the door carefully behind them. As they crossed the grounds in the all-but-twilight, rain began to fall and something strange brought their attention to the pond off to their right. Bubbles were appearing at the surface, infrequent but steady. Glancing nervously around, they approached the water, keeping their weapons ready. 

A sudden screech alerted them that they were facing the wrong way, and they ducked just in time to avoid a pass of the flyer's razor talons. Samkim reacted quickly, hurling his disc at it, but the shot was badly aimed. It flew past the flyer and embedded itself in the wall, far above his reach. At the same time, there was a small explosion in the pond as a small, pale shape exploded from the surface, flying high into the air. In a sudden flash of lightning, they could see that it was small and stumpy-looking, but nevertheless terrifying. Acting on impulse, Mara raised the speargun and fired blindly up at it. It struck the vole-alien in such a way that it split the creature in half. Mara dropped the speargun and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding its acid-leaking corpse. A huge bubble exploded on the rain-driven surface of the pond, and they stood, horrified, as the Alien Queen climbed slowly out of the pond.

She was beyond anything that Mara had ever imagined. Twice the height of any of her minions, she supported herself on two bent back legs. The tail, thick as a tree trunk and about as long, swished slowly in the water behind her. Rain pelted on the flat, crown-like head, as well as the huge spikes protruding from her back. She had four arms: two very long and strong-looking, and two weak and frail, held close to the body. As she stood there silently her head seemed to slide apart, the mantle sliding up to reveal a sightless face and huge jaws. She turned toward Samkim, then to Mara. Seeing that Mara was lying next to the remains of one of her children, she gave a yowling cry in to the storm and dropped what she had been carrying with her small arms. The Facehugger had barely hit the ground when it scuttled onto its eight legs and launched itself at Mara, the long tail whipping the air behind it..

It had covered half the distance to her when it exploded in a shower of bright blue light. A second later, the flyer dropped from the sky, flapped a few times, then lay still. The Queen gave a shriek and turned to where, not twenty paces away, stood Coll and Elmflyer. As Coll unsheathed his war staff and launched headlong at the Queen, his enraged voice could be heard above the storm, made hollow and tinny by his mask.

"Get away from her, you bitch!"

She hardly even moved, merely shifted her weight and brought her tail around. The appendage struck Coll just below the platter-sized tail blade, saving his life and sending him head over heels into the pond. The queen bellowed in pain as Elmflyer stood behind her, pumping her short spears into her. She turned and began making swipes at the squirrel with her claws, hoping to get a grip. Elmflyer dodged the monster's attacks, but nothing lasts forever. Before long the queen had hit her with a glancing backhand, and the squirrel yelled hoarsely as the other large claw wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides. She tried to use her shoulder cannon, but queen's assault had been strong enough to damage it. She was helpless, with the life being crushed out of her as she was raised off the ground. As the queen squeezed tighter and tighter, one of her claws found a cable on Elmflyer's arm. White-hot pain lanced both of them as the armour's power supply coarsed through them. The queen dropped her and pawed madly at her face, her strange sense of sight blinded. Insolent, puny vermin! How dare they do this to her! She could smell them, all around her. They would all die for this! As her vision cleared a little, she caught a glimpse of something flat and swift, then a sudden pain, then darkness.

~~

Coll crouched at the edge of the Abbey pond, his arm still outstretched from throwing the disc. He watched as the lower half of the queen's head fell to the ground, followed with a crash by the rest of her. He removed his mask and fell to his knees, breathing raggedly. He would have collapsed from exhaustion and his wounds, but…

"Coll!" 

He was knocked onto his back by Mara, who was suddenly in his arms, kissing him. As they parted, she whispered, "Oh, Coll. It's over! You've done it!"

This would have continued, but for a sudden cry from Samkim. They stood, seeing him crouched over Elmflyer, holding her to him, sobbing raggedly.

"Come on, Elmflyer, wake up! Please wake up! Come on…"

The other creatures of the abbey began to filter out, having been drawn out by the noise. There were tears of joy and relief of the battle won, and tears of grief and sorrow for those who had been lost. No one tried to approach Samkim, who lay grief-stricken on the ground with the still form of Elmflyer pressed to him. 

And far off, at the crest of a rowan in the silent Northeast forest, a single nightingale poked his head cautiously into the storm, then flitted up to a high branch and began to sing.


	7. Epilogue

****

Author's Note: Before I get any more reviews on the subject, I'd like to point out that "Get away from her, you bitch!" is a quote from the movie _Aliens_. It seemed appropriate.

Ch.7- Epilogue

One year had passed in Mossflower country since the Summer of the Fallen Comrade. Coll knelt in a wide, dimly lit chamber far beneath Redwall Abbey as he put the final touches on his the inscription on the wall behind which his friend lay. Behind him stood his wife Mara, watching Coll as he put down his chisel and bowed his head for a moment. He suddenly started at a small crying noise from behind. 

He turned and smiled as Mara tried to hush the tiny bundle cradled in her arms, rose silently and walked over to her. He kissed her gently on the forehead and fondly stroked the headstripes of his infant son, Elm. He gently steered them out into the exit tunnel, pausing to gather the torches he had been using for light. Out in the hall, he braced himself against a large slab of rock, heaving it over the entrance to the tomb. As he slid it into place, he looked one last time at the tomb of his oldest friend and the message he had carved there. He smiled to himself and walked with his family out into the hot summer sunlight of Redwall abbey. 

And as he joined the happy abbey folk, living his new life to the fullest, he felt a great weight lifted from him. Coll the Predator was dead, and now there was just Coll. No one ever discussed his past again, nor was the tomb reopened, until it was finally lost in the mists of time and forgotten.

And far below, in the darkness and silence and musty, dead air, a lonely warrior lay among the tokens of her life; forgotten but proud. Many long years she waited, until finally there was a grating noise as the slab was removed and torchlight fell once more upon the words of a friend. 

__

Congratulations

You have found that which you have no doubt been seeking for some time. Despite my best efforts, you have come across the tomb of my friend Elmflyer. She died in defence of this Abbey, protecting it from an enemy that I can only hope you will never face. My name is Coll. If you look me up in the abbey records, you will find only that I brought the cure to a terrible Illness. That is a lie. We came to Redwall Abbey to drive away the monsters that threatened this country, and I will leave it at that. I am a Predator, like Elmflyer and thousands before us. If you have passed all the tests and riddles I have put in place to guard this tomb, you must be very determined or very desperate. Behind this wall lie Elmflyer and the weapons we both wore, along with the bodies of the monsters I have spoken of. If you choose to wear this armour, you forsake the right to friends and love. Death will follow these tools forever. I learned this too late and have given up the power so that I may lead a life of peace. If you have need of it, that power is yours. The armour cannot be destroyed, and will serve the wearer well. Be warned, though. Our weapons are to be used only to defend the weak and to destroy any threat to Redwall's future. We are the Predators. Join us.

The End.

Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed. I'd like to get some feedback. Tell me what you think, what you like, and what you don't. I can't improve if I can't see a problem. To all those who have posted reviews, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Before I go, one last barrage of legal stuff.

ALIENS © 1986 Twentieth Century Fox. PREDATOR © 1987 Twentieth Century Fox. 

ALIENS VERSUS PREDATOR © 1999 Fox Interactive and Rebellion Software, ltd.

REDWALL © 1986 Brian Jacques

Coll and Elmflyer are the mental property of S. Pipes, as are the Mouse, Hedgehog, Bankvole, and Sparrow aliens.


End file.
